You will soon be able to play music on your clothing

10.03.2010 - (idw) Schwedischer Forschungsrat - The Swedish Research Council

In the future it may be considerably easier for orchestras to tour. Jeannine Han, who is in the second year of her master's program in textiles and fashion design at the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås, Sweden, working together with technician Dan Riley, has developed clothing that plays music when touched.
"The outfit is made of material with integrated sensors that react when someone comes close or touches it," says Dan Riley, who was responsible for the technology.

Jeannine Han feels that the aesthetic aspect is important and has put a great deal of effort into developing the pattern. She has also received assistance from the Gothenburg Strap Factory Museum in producing the straps for the outfit. The project is called "textile design for a nomad."

"The outfit is for a traveling nomad who wishes to communicate with other nomads, so the sound is inspired by nature," says Jeannine Han, and Dan Riley continues:

"The sound is like a harp. The next step for us will be to find a way to control the music better."

For her master's degree project, Jeannine Han, in collaboration with Dan Riley, will start a band where one or more of the band members will wear the outfit and thus play themselves.

"We also want to develop the technology to make it easy to produce the clothing in the future," concludes Jeannine Han.

Jeannine Han, master's student at the Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, can be reached at mobile: '46 (0)767-87 77 55.